Peter Hammill: 1971 - 1981 The First Decade

 

Peter Joseph Andrew Hammill (born 5 November 1948) is an English musician and recording artist. He was a founder member of the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Best known as a singer-songwriter, he also plays guitar and piano and produces his own recordings and occasionally those of

other artists. In 2012, he was recognised with the Visionary award at the first Progressive Music Awards. While studying at Manchester University, Hammill met drummer Nick Peame and keyboardist /saxophonist Chris Judge Smith (who had just returned from studying at the University of California in Berkeley); the trio formed the first version of Van Der Graaf Generator, though Judge Smith left when the band began to tour in 1968, and Peame left in 1969. 
                            

VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR

Hammill (vocals, acoustic guitar and electric piano) enlisted Hugh Banton (organ, bass pedals), Guy

Evans (drums), David Jackson (reeds and winds), and bassists Keith Ellis (1968-1969), and Nic Potter (1970). The band released four highly influential albums --The Aerosol Grey Machine, The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other, H to He, Who Am the Only One, and Pawn Hearts -- between 1969 and 1971 before breaking up for the first time in 1972. 
                             

When Van der Graaf Generator broke up again in August 1972, Hammill resumed his solo career. Songs that were intended for Van der Graaf Generator now ended up on his solo albums, notably "Black

Room" (on Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night) and "A Louse Is Not a Home" (on The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage). For the majority of both his solo songs and the band's songs he is credited as the sole songwriter, and some of his solo albums feature all the members of Van der Graaf Generator. In general, Hammill's solo work is thematically concerned with more personal matters, while the band's songs deal with broader themes.
                       

In the middle of his solo run, Van Der Graaf Generator reunited in 1975 and released Godbluff. They followed it with two offerings in 1976, Still Life and World Record. Banton and Jackson left the group

almost immediately after. Hammill and Evans changed the name to Van Der Graaf, added violinist Graham Smith, and recorded The Quiet Zone in 1977.  In 1978, and the group disbanded again, though its members continued to appear on Hammill's solo work. The songwriter resumed his solo career with 1977's provocative Future Now, followed by pH7 in 1978. These marked his final two dates for Charisma. Taken with his earlier solo recordings, they make for diverse and groundbreaking run in art/prog rock that has never lacked in eclecticism, ambition, and adventurousness. 
                  

Musically, Hammill's work ranges from short simple riff-based songs to highly complex lengthy pieces. His work with Van der Graaf Generator, and much of his solo work, is usually described as progressive

rock, though Hammill himself does not identify with the label. He has received the first ever recognition as a "visionary artist" from the progressive music world. Hammill's output is prolific. Many different styles of music appear in his work, among them artful complexity (for instance Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night), avant garde electronic experiments (Loops and Reels, Unsung), opera (The Fall of the House of Usher), solo keyboard accompaniment (And Close As This), solo guitar accompaniment (Clutch), improvisation (Spur of the Moment), film music (Sonix), band recordings (Enter K), and slow, melancholic balladry (None of the Above).
                     

Hammill's voice is a very distinctive element of his music. He sings in an emotional, often even

dramatic way. As a former Jesuit chorister, his delivery is usually Received Pronunciation British English – notable exceptions are his Afrikaner accent on "A Motor-bike in Afrika" and his Cockney accent on "Polaroid" — and ranges in tone from peacefully celestial to screaming rants (which are nevertheless highly controlled). Singing in registers from baritone to high falsetto, he growls, croons, shrieks and shouts in ways that have drawn comparison with the guitar playing of Jimi Hendrix.
                       

Hammill's lyrics are another distinctive feature of his work. He has visited a number of recurring

themes including love and human relationships, ageing and death, human folly, self-awareness and introspection, politics, and religion. His lyrics often include scientific, literary or historical references. For example, the Norse names mentioned in the song "Viking" on Fool's Mate (co-written with Judge Smith) are characters in the Icelandic Saga of Eric the Red.

                                 

 

PETER HAMMILL 1971 - 1981 THE FIRST DECADE

01. Fool's Mate (July 1971)
02. Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night (May 1973)
03. The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage (February 1974)
04. In Camera (July 1974)
05. Nadir's Big Chance (February 1975)
06. Over (April 1977)
07. The Future Now (September 1978)
08. pH7 (September 1979)
09. A Black Box (August 1980)
10. Sitting Targets (June 1981) 

01.  PETER HAMMILL - FOOL'S MATE (JULY 1971)

                     

The title is both a chess and tarot reference. The album was recorded in 1971, in the midst of one of Van

der Graaf Generator's most prolific periods. Hammill used the album to record a backlog of songs which were much shorter and simpler than his Van der Graaf Generator material, and declared on the original album sleeve: "This isn't intended to be any kind of statement of my present musical position, but at the same time, it is an album which involves a great deal of me, the person, basically a return to the roots." 
                        

 

Peter Hammill – Fool's Mate
Label: Virgin – 00946 311395 2 9, Charisma – CASCDR 1037
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered Jun 27, 2005
Country: Europe
Released: 1971
Genre: Rock
Style: Art Rock, Prog Rock

TRACKS

01. Imperial Zeppelin   3:38
Written-By – Chris Judge Smith, Peter Hammill
02. Candle    4:13
03. Happy    2:32
04. Solitude    4:54
05. Vision    3:11
06. Re-Awakening   3:55
Performer – Benny On The High Bits
07. Sunshine    3:54
08. Child    4:20
09. Summer Song In The Autumn    2:14
10. Viking   4:41
Tam-tam – Paul Whitehead/Written-By – Chris Judge Smith, Peter Hammill
11. The Birds    3:35
12. I Once Wrote Some Poems    2:43

BONUS TRACKS        

    
13. Re-Awakening (Demo)    4:33
14. Summer Song In The Autumn (Demo)    2:46
15. The Birds (Demo)    3:18
16. Sunshine (Demo)    3:50
17. Happy (Demo)    2:46

LINE - UP

Peter Hammill – all lead vocals (1–12); acoustic guitar, piano (1–4, 6–10, 12)
Robert Fripp – electric guitar (1, 7, 8, 10–12)
Guy Evans – drums, percussion (1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 11)
Martin Pottinger – drums (1, 2, 4, 10)
Hugh Banton – piano, organ (1, 3, 5–9, 11)
Rod Clements – bass, violin (2, 4, 10)
Nic Potter – bass (1, 3, 6–9, 11)
Ray Jackson – harp, mandolin (2, 4, 10)
David Jackson – alto and tenor saxophones, flute (1, 3, 6–8, 10)
Paul Whitehead – tam tam (10)
Fluctuating Chorale: Guy, Hugh, Dave, Ray, John, Norman, Alastair, John, Peter

NOTES

Tracks 13 to 17 are previously unreleased demos recorded live at Trident Studios January 1971.

Flac Size: 381 MB

02.  PETER HAMMILL - CHAMELEON IN THE SHADOW OF THE NIGHT (MAY 1973)

                         

Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night is the second solo album by British singer-songwriter Peter

Hammill. It followed in the aftermath of the breakup of Hammill's band Van der Graaf Generator, and (as with many of Hammill's solo albums from this period) other ex-members of Van der Graaf Generator perform on the album. The complex and atmospheric "(In the) Black Room/The Tower" was originally planned for inclusion on Van der Graaf Generator's album following Pawn Hearts, an album that because of the band's split never came to be.
                        

Peter Hammill – Chameleon In The Shadow Of The Night
Label: Charisma – CASCDR 1067, Virgin – 00946 370435 2 3
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered Sep 2006
Country: Europe
Released: 1973    
Genre: Rock
Style: Art Rock, Prog Rock

TRACKS

01. German Overalls    7:05
02. Slender Threads    5:00
03. Rock And Rôle    6:41
04. In The End    7:23
05. What's It Worth    3:58
06. Easy To Slip Away    5:19
07. Dropping The Torch    4:12
08. (In The) Black Room / The Tower    11:02

BONUS TRACKS        

    
09. Rain 3am   4:45
Performer – Hugh Banton, Peter Hammill
10. Easy To Slip Away (Live)    4:47
11. In The End (Live)    7:23

LINE - UP

Peter Hammill – vocals, acoustic and electric guitars (1–3, 5, 7), piano (3, 4, 6, 8), Mellotron (6), harmonium (credited with "tesseraschizoid warbling...one flight of mellotrons and some Gothic harmonium")
Hugh Banton – Hammond organ (8), piano, bass pedals, bass guitar (credited with "Bomber, banshee, organ and leaping piano, foot and hand bass, the Rack")
Guy Evans – drums, cymbals (3, 8) (credited with "The Thundering Horseman of the Darkest Dawn")
David Jackson – acoustic and electric tenor and alto saxophone, flute (1, 3, 5, 6, 8) (credited with "screams in the night and icy waterfalls")
Nic Potter – bass guitar (3, 6) (credited with "Cortina")

NOTES

Tracks 1 to 8 are the original album
Track 9 studio, recorded with Hugh Banton at some time during this period
Tracks 10-11 PH solo, live, The All Souls Unitarian Church, Kansas, USA, 16 February 1978

Flac Size: 386 MB

03.  PETER HAMMILL - THE SILENT CORNER AND THE EMPTY STAGE (FEBRUARY 1974)

                    

The lengthy "A Louse is not a Home" is a song about the nature of identity. It was originally written for Van der Graaf Generator's album following Pawn Hearts, an album that because of the band's split never came to be. It features Van der Graaf Generator's ex-members and was (just like "In the Black

Room" from the previous album) played live by the group already in mid 1972 (just before the split) and again with the reformed band in 1975. "Forsaken Gardens" (also played live in 1975) and "Red Shift" are two more songs which feature ex-VdGG members. "The Lie (Bernini's Saint Theresa)" partly alludes to the Ecstasy of St Theresa by Bernini. "Red Shift" features Spirit guitarist Randy California on lead guitar. Hammill has often performed the song "Modern" in concert. "Wilhelmina" is written for Guy Evans' newborn baby girl, Tamra. 
                        

Peter Hammill – The Silent Corner And The Empty Stage
Label: Virgin – 00946 3 70511 2 2, Charisma – CASCDR 1083
Format: CD, Album, Remastered, Reissue 2006
Country: Europe
Released: 1974
Genre: Rock
Style: Prog Rock, Art Rock

TRACKS

01. Modern    7:29
02. Wilhelmina    5:19
03. The Lie (Bernini's Saint Theresa)    5:41
04. Forsaken Gardens   6:16
Choir [Part-choir] – Hugh Banton
05. Red Shift   8:10
Guitar [Pulsating Lead Guitar] – Randy California
06. Rubicon    4:40
07. A Louse Is Not A Home    12:11

BONUS TRACKS        

    
08. The Lie    6:31
09. Rubicon    5:02
10. Red Shift    5:51

LINE - UP

Peter Hammill – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars (1, 2, 5, 6), piano (2, 3, 4, 7), Mellotron (1, 2), bass guitar (1, 2, 6), harmonium (1), oscillator (6)
Hugh Banton – Hammond organ, bass pedals and bass guitar (3, 4, 7), Farfisa organ (5), backing vocals
Guy Evans – percussion, drums (4, 5, 7)
David Jackson – flute, alto, tenor, and soprano saxophones (4, 5, 7)
Randy California – lead guitar (5)

NOTES

Tracks 1 to 7 were originally released in 1974.
Track 8 was recorded live at The All Souls Unitarian Church, Kansas City, USA on 16th February 1978.
Tracks 9 and 10 were recorded for the John Peel Show on BBC Radio 1. First transmission 5th March 1974.

Flac Size: 439 MB

04.  PETER HAMMILL - IN CAMERA (JULY 1974)

                           

Much of the material was recorded in Hammill's home studio on simple four-track equipment. He then took the tapes to Trident Studios, where additional elements such as drumming from Van der Graaf

Generator colleague Guy Evans, and layers of ARP 2600 analogue synthesizer were added. The album has a predominantly dark, gothic, claustrophobic feel, with the lyrics laced with apocalyptic, religious and existential imagery. "Gog" is a particularly intense and demonic song, featuring (even by Hammill's standards) strident and aggressive vocals, grandiose harmonium chords, and powerful drumming. 
                      

Peter Hammill – In Camera
Label: Charisma – CASCDR 1089, Virgin – 0946 3 70512 2 1
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered 2006
Country: Europe
Released: 1974    
Genre: Rock
Style: Art Rock, Prog Rock

TRACKS

01. Ferret And Featherbird    3:39
02. (No More) The Sub-Mariner    5:47
03. Tapeworm    4:20
04. Again    3:36
05. Faint Heart And The Sermon    6:42
06. The Comet, The Course, The Tail    6:01
07. Gog    7:40
08. Magog (In Bromine Chambers)    9:41

BONUS TRACKS BBC RADIO ONE JOHN PEEL SESSION            

09. The Emperor In His War Room    6:39
10. Faint Heart And The Sermon    6:05
11. (No More) The Sub-Mariner    6:12

LINE - UP

Peter Hammill – vocals, piano (1–5, 8), acoustic and electric guitars (1, 3–6, 8), bass guitar (2–4, 6, 7), ARP 2600 synthesizer (2, 5, 6, 8), Mellotron (5, 8), harmonium (7)
Guy Evans – drums (3, 7)
Chris Judge Smith – percussion, spoken word (8)
Paul Whitehead – percussion (8)

NOTES

Original album released as Charisma CAS 1089 in 1974.
Recorded between December 1973 and April 1974.
Track 7 is incorrectly printed as "Go" on back cover
Track 10 is incorrectly printed as "Faint Heart And The Sermom" in booklet tracklist.

Flac Size: 444 MB

05.  PETER HAMMILL - NADIR'S BIG CHANCE (FEBRUARY 1975)

                     

It was recorded shortly after a decision to re-form the band Van der Graaf Generator and Nadir's Big

Chance is actually performed by the reformed Van der Graaf Generator line-up. The title track tells a story about fictitious character of Rikki Nadir, who is an attitude-filled rocker and can be considered an alter-ego of Hammill. The album's songs vary greatly in style, as acknowledged by Hammill in the sleeve notes, which refer to "the beefy punk songs, the weepy ballads, the soul struts". 
                    

Peter Hammill – Nadir's Big Chance
Label: Virgin – 00946 370513 2 0, Charisma – CASCDR 1099
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered 2006
Country: UK
Released: 1975
Genre: Rock
Style: Art Rock, Prog Rock

TRACKS

01. Nadir's Big Chance    3:34
02. The Institute Of Mental Health, Burning    3:32
03. Open Your Eyes    5:13
04. Nobody's Business    4:10
05. Been Alone So Long    4:11
06. Pompeii    4:26
07. Shingle Song    4:16
08. Airport    3:05
09. People You Were Going To    5:06
10. Birthday Special    3:36
11. Two Or Three Spectres    6:21

LINE - UP

Peter Hammill – voice, acoustic and electric guitars, Hohner clavinet, piano (7, 9), bass (11)
David Jackson – saxophone (all tracks)
Hugh Banton – bass guitar (1–10), piano (2, 6, 11), Hammond organ (3, 9)
Guy Evans – drums, percussion (all tracks)

NOTES

Original album released as Charisma CAS 1099 in 1975.
Recorded at Rockfield, December 1 - 7, 1974.

Flac Size: 325 MB

06.  PETER HAMMILL - OVER (APRIL 1977)

                    

The album was recorded during a period of line-up change for Hammill's band Van der Graaf

Generator. It features drummer Guy Evans, future recruit Graham Smith (formerly of String Driven Thing) on violin, and the return of the band's bass player from 1969 to 1970, Nic Potter. "This Side of the Looking Glass" was re-worked for Hammill's 1984 album The Love Songs. 
                    

Peter Hammill – Over
Label: Virgin – 00946 3 70514 2 9, Charisma – CASCDR 1125
Format: CD, Album, Remastered, Reissue 2006
Country: Europe
Released: 1977
Genre: Rock
Style: Art Rock, Prog Rock

TRACKS

01. Crying Wolf    5:12
02. Autumn    4:14
03. Time Heals    8:42
04. Alice (Letting Go)    5:33
05. This Side Of The Looking Glass   6:57
Arranged By, Conductor [Orchestra] – Michael Brand
06. Betrayed    4:44
07. (On Tuesdays She Used To Do) Yoga    3:55
08. Lost And Found    7:11

BONUS TRACKS        

    
09. Betrayed    4:44
10. Autumn    4:14
11. This Side Of The Looking Glass (Alternate Take)    4:11

LINE - UP

Peter Hammill – vocals, acoustic and electric guitars (1, 4, 6–8), piano (1–3, 8), synthesizer (3, 7, 8), Hammond organ (1)
Nic Potter – bass (1, 3, 8)
Guy Evans – drums (1, 3, 8)
Graham Smith – violin (2, 6)
Michael Brand – orchestra conductor (5)

NOTES

Original album released as Charisma CAS 1125 in March 1977.
Tracks 9 and 10 were recorded for the John Peel Show on BBC Radio 1. First transmission 21st April 1977.
Track 11 is described in the liner notes as "a version of Looking Glass, from Kansas City, bootleg style". The back of the CD and the rest of the booklet label it as an "Alternate Take".

 

Flac Size: 350 MB

07.  PETER HAMMILL - THE FUTURE NOW ( SEPTEMBER 1978)

                     

It was the first solo album Hammill released following the 1978 breakup of his band Van der Graaf

Generator, although he had released numerous solo albums while Van der Graaf Generator were active. The album contains twelve short songs, several in the new wave style of Van der Graaf Generator's last studio album, The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome. 
                   

Peter Hammill – The Future Now
Label: Virgin – 00946 370515 2 8, Charisma – CASCDR 1137 2006
Format: CD, Album, Remastered, Reissue
Country: Europe
Released: 1978
Genre: Rock
Style: Art Rock, Prog Rock, Experimental

TRACKS

01. Pushing Thirty    4:21
02. The Second Hand    3:29
03. Trappings    3:34
04. The Mousetrap (Caught In)    4:07
05. Energy Vampires    2:57
06. If I Could    4:43
07. The Future Now    4:14
08. Still In The Dark    3:41
09. Mediaevil    3:07
10. A Motor-Bike In Afrika    3:11
11. The Cut    4:21
12. Palinurus (Castaway)    4:10

BONUS TRACKS        

    
13. If I Could (Live)    4:41
14. The Mousetrap (Caught In) (Live)    4:50

LINE - UP

Peter Hammill – guitars, vocals, keyboards, harmonica, electronics
David Jackson – saxophone (1, 2, 12)
Graham Smith – violin (5, 6, 12)

NOTES

Original album released as Charisma CAS 1137 in September 1978.
Track 9 is incorrectly labeled as "Mediaeval" on the back of the CD.
Tracks 13 and 14 recorded live at The All Souls Unitarian Church, Kansas City, USA on 16th February 1978.

Flac Size: 329 MB

08.  PETER HAMMILL - PH7 ( SEPTEMBER 1979)

                      

It is Hammill's eighth solo album and his last release on the Charisma label. The song "Porton Down"

refers to the Porton Down military research facility in Wiltshire, England, while the lyrics of "Imperial Walls" are a translation of the first few lines of the Anglo-Saxon poem "The Ruin". The song "Not For Keith" is a tribute to Keith Ellis, a former member of the band Van der Graaf Generator, who had then died just recently. 

                         

Peter Hammill – pH7
Label: Virgin – 00946 3 70516 2 7, Charisma – CASCDR 1146
Format: CD, Album, Remastered, Reissue Oct 2006
Country: Europe
Released: 1979    
Genre: Rock
Style: Art Rock, Prog Rock

TRACKS

01.  My Favourite    2:47
02.  Careering    4:03
03.  Porton Down    3:36
04.  Mirror Images    3:46
05.  Handicap And Equality    3:53
06.  Not For Keith    2:24
07.  The Old School Tie    5:02
08.  Time For A Change   3:11
Written-By – Christopher Judge Smith, Stephen Robshaw
09.  Imperial Walls   4:15
Written-By – Anonymous, Peter Hammill
10.  Mr X (Gets Tense)    6:05
11.  Faculty X    4:50

BONUS TRACKS        

    
12.  Mr X (Gets Tense)    6:05
13.  Faculty X    4:50

LINE - UP

Peter Hammill – voice, guitar, keyboards, bass, drums, drum machine
Graham Smith – violin (1, 3, 10, 11)
David Jackson – saxophone, flute (2, 3, 11)

NOTES

Original album released as Charisma CAS 1146 in October 1979.
Tracks 12 and 13 recorded for the John Peel Show on BBC Radio 1. First transmission 24th September 1979.

Flac Size: 343 MB

09.  PETER HAMMILL - A BLACK BOX ( AUGUST 1980)

                         

Hammill performed nearly all the instrumentation himself, including the drum parts, a task he had first undertaken on his previous album pH7. His ex-Van der Graaf Generator colleague David Jackson also

made a guest appearance, along with David Ferguson of the new-wave band Random Hold, whose debut album Hammill had produced. Side 1 of the record featured a collection of songs, while side 2 was devoted to "Flight", a lengthy multi-section song. This was the first time Hammill had included a lengthy song of this type on one of his solo albums. 
                 

Peter Hammill – A Black Box
Label: Virgin – PHSCDR 1, Charisma – PHSCDR 1, Virgin – 00946 370518 2 5
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered 2006
Country: Europe
Released: 1980
Genre: Rock
Style: Art Rock, Prog Rock

TRACKS

01. Golden Promises    2:55
02. Losing Faith In Words    3:38
03. Jargon King    2:43
04. Fogwalking    4:06
05. The Spirit    2:37
06. In Slow Time    3:26
07. The Wipe    1:51

08. Flight    (19:37)

08.1. Flying Blind    
08.2. The White Cave Fandango    
08.3. Control    
08.4. Cockpit    
08.5. Silk Worm Wings    
08.6. Nothing Is Nothing    
08.7. A Black Box    

LINE - UP

Peter Hammill – vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums, bass
David Jackson – saxophone, flute on 4 and 8
David Ferguson – synthesizer and tambourine on 4, 6 and 7

NOTES

Original album released as S-Type Records PHS 1 in October 1980

Flac Size: 299 MB

10.  PETER HAMMILL - SITTING TARGETS (JUNE 1981)

                   

It contains several songs in the raw new wave style typical of Hammill's work in the late 1970s and

early 1980s, following the dissolution of his band Van der Graaf Generator, and one of his occasional tender ballads, "Ophelia". "Stranger Still", "Sign" and "Central Hotel" have all been regularly performed by Hammill live in recent[when?] years. "Ophelia" was re-worked for Hammill's 1984 album The Love Songs. 
                  

Peter Hammill – Sitting Targets
Label: Virgin – 50999 503282 2 2, Charisma – CDVR 2205
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered Sep 2007
Country: Europe
Released: 1981
Genre: Rock
Style: Art Rock, Prog Rock

TRACKS

01. Breakthrough    4:01
02. My Experience    3:20
03. Ophelia    3:15
04. Empress's Clothes    4:07
05. Glue    3:49
06. Hesitation    4:11
07. Sitting Targets    5:27
08. Stranger Still    5:00
09. Sign    3:50
10. What I Did    3:43
11. Central Hotel    4:42

LINE - UP

Peter Hammill - vocals, guitar, keyboards
Guy Evans - drums (tracks: 1,2,6,7,9)
David Jackson - saxophone, flute (tracks: 4,6,7,11)
Morris Pert - percussion (tracks: 4,7,10)
Phil Harrison - synthesisers (tracks: 3,8,9)

NOTES

Recorded at Sofa Sound, November 1980 - February 1981.

Flac Size:329  MB